TIPS FOR A MORE ECO-FRIENDLY KITCHEN

Let us see how we can all make small changes to make our kitchens eco-friendlier at home.

• An eco-friendly kitchen should have tools and equipment made using sustainable materials such as wood, bamboo and glass. Such kitchen items in Sri Lanka are readily and easily available in many stores around the country. Handmade items in Sri Lanka such as coconut shell spoons, clay pots etc are ideal for such a kitchen.
• While you can make any type of floors or counters eco-friendly by replacing them with bamboo, there are some other things that you can add in your home to help reduce greenhouse gases like installing low flow faucets and shower heads, recycling used household items instead of throwing them out, cutting down on car use by walking or biking when possible to the grocery store, reducing hot water usage etc. 
• One of the greatest things you can do is to replace some electric appliances with their gas counterparts while saving on energy costs at the same time, such as an oven or range top, dishwasher and clothes drier. You can also use solar powered products for lighting in areas that don't get much sun light during certain parts of the day.
• Another way to reduce greenhouse gases is by using recyclable kitchenware and eco-friendly home items in Sri Lanka, instead of disposables like plates made out of paperboard, styrofoam cups etc. This will help reduce waste going into landfills which contribute methane gas when they decompose over time. 
• One way to reduce waste is with compost bins for food scraps so those do not end up as landfill waste where they decompose very slowly, releasing methane gas into the atmosphere which contributes to climate change.
• Lastly make sure that you recycle whatever you can when it comes to the kitchen, such as used cooking oil or empty soda bottles.

Through small changes such as these you can significantly reduce your carbon footprin